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Dan Campbell is not the type of coach to hand out participation trophies when things go bad. And with little good to take from the Detroit Lions' decline this season, Campbell is pointing the finger at himself.
In his end-of-season press conference Monday, Campbell spoke openly about the bitter taste of falling short. The Lions missed the postseason at 9-8 after winning two playoff games in 2023 and going 15-2 a year ago.
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"Not good enough. We didn't get in. We underachieved," Campbell said. "So, not good. I'd give myself a freaking F."
It was a trying year for Campbell in many respects. He had to endure the departures of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, with the former vastly improving the NFC North rival Chicago Bears. The replacement at OC didn't work out, as Campbell took over play-calling duties from John Morton in Week 10. And once again the injury bug bit Detroit, as the Lions were among the NFL's most injured teams, particularly defensively.
If there's any team the NFL should be scared to have a chip on its shoulder, it's this one, thanks to the culture Campbell has instilled. With a full offseason to get the defense healthy and offense clicking under a more effective coordinator, it's reasonable to think this season was just a blip for Detroit.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: Dan Campbell harshly criticizes himself after disappointing season
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